FBI May Be Investigating Lobbyst With Ties to Former House Speaker

Two Jackson County legislators have confirmed that the FBI is asking questions about a contract worth up to $75,000 the county reached with a consultant with ties to former Missouri House speaker John Diehl.

The Star has also learned that members of Diehl’s former Capitol staff have also been questioned about the contract granted to Brittany Burke and her St. Louis firm, Tactas.

County Legislator Dan Tarwater and former legislator Theresa Garza Ruiz have told The Star they spoke with agents from the FBI in recent weeks about the contract. The agents asked questions about how the county came to hire Burke and how the legislative process worked.

Garza Ruiz said she told the FBI that the contract was awarded on merit, not because of any relationship Burke had with the former House speaker.

The contract, agreed to unanimously by the county legislature in November for health care consulting, is with Burke. It was the lowest of two bids submitted. The contract includes three 12-month options to extend the arrangement.